Lithic technology and obsidian exchange networks in Bronze Age Nuragic Sardinia (Italy)
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Lithic technology and obsidian exchange networks in Bronze Age Nuragic Sardinia (Italy) Kyle P. Freund & Robert H. Tykot
Received: 3 February 2010 / Accepted: 6 December 2010 / Published online: 11 January 2011 # Springer-Verlag 2011
Abstract The study of the Sardinian Bronze Age (Nuragic period) and the factors which created and maintained an island-wide identity as seen through the presence of its distinctive nuraghi has received considerable attention; however, the amount of research directly related to the stone tools of the era has been relatively limited despite the wealth of knowledge it is capable of yielding. This research hopes to contribute to Sardinian archaeology through the study of ancient technology, specifically obsidian lithic technology, by combining typological information with source data gleaned from the use of portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. This research also explores temporal changes in the acquisition of obsidian raw materials and the corresponding changes in how the obsidian was used. The results provide precedence for future work in Sardinia and create a model for integrating two types of analyses, sourcing and typological. By combining these results, it is possible to investigate ancient economies, exchange networks, and cultural values. Keywords Sardinia . Italy . Nuragic culture . Obsidian . Typologies . X-ray fluorescence (XRF)
K. P. Freund (*) Department of Anthropology, McMaster University, Chester New Hall Rm. 524 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L9, Canada e-mail: [email protected] R. H. Tykot Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., SOC107, Tampa, FL 33620, USA e-mail: [email protected]
Introduction Sardinia is located in the Mediterranean Sea off the west coast of Italy and occupies an area of approximately 24,000 km2 (Fig. 1). The Sardinian Bronze Age Nuragic period (ca. 1700–900 BC) is named after the approximately 7,000 truncated cone-shaped residential stone structures called nuraghi which were constructed throughout the island during this period. These structures are usually corbelled domes made of different kinds of stones, mainly basalt and granite; they average approximately 12 m in diameter and originally rose to around 15–20 m high, although there is a wide range of variation (Balmuth 1984). Two types of nuraghi are present, “simple” and “complex”. These likely represent a chronological progression with an increase in complexity over time. Simple towers had low doors, interior stairways, and one or two chambers. Complex nuraghi included additional stories, chambers, and walls (Dyson and Rowland 2007). The study of Nuragic lithic technology and the exchange networks which created and maintained an island-wide identity as seen through the presence of its distinctive nuraghi has received little attention despite the wealth of knowledge it is capable of yielding. The relative isolation of the island from outside influences compared to contemporaneous communities elsewhere in the Mediterranean pr
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